Thứ Năm, 8 tháng 3, 2018

The 50-megawatt plant will cost nearly $50 million in Vietnam’s Gia Lai Province.

A Vietnamese electricity company has signed a deal with Japanese engineering company JGC to design and build a 50-megawatt solar power plant.

The deal, signed by Gia Lai Electricity, is estimated to be worth over 5 billion yen ($47.4 million), with the facility to be set up in Gia Lai Province by November, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

It's the second deal to be signed with Vietnam since the government introduced a feed-in tariff program in March 2017.

Vietnam is accelerating the construction of solar power plants to make up for an anticipated power shortfall due to the recent cancellation of several nuclear power projects.

The government is trying to nurture solar energy as the country's main source of electrical output. Solar power currently accounts for 0.01 percent of the country's total power output, but the government plans to increase the ratio to 3.3 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2050.

The cost of solar panels is falling, and the government is expected to introduce a system of buying excess solar power.

The Vietnamese government had planned to build two nuclear power plants with Russia and Japan, but the plan was cancelled in November 2016 due to the hefty up-front costs of several billion dollars for each reactor.

An increasing demand for energy and limited reserves of fossil fuels are the first reasons for this new investment trend in Vietnam, said Nguyen Anh Tuan, a senior energy official at the industry and trade ministry.

With the development of new technologies, the cost of producing clean energy has dropped from VND3,500 to VND2,200-2,500 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), Tuan said.

He added that government incentives for solar power projects are another reason for this trend. The government has raised its buying price from 7.8 to 9.35 U.S. cents/kWh, while offering investors tax breaks and cutting land use fees.

Vietnam currently relies mainly on coal and hydroelectric power generation. The country is aiming to produce 10.7 percent of its total electricity through renewable energy by 2030, mainly through solar and wind energy, up from the 6 percent as previously planned.

Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 11, 2017

HANOI – Vietnam’s energy sector is facing tough competition with many countries in Asia and America since most energy giants have scaled down investment due to the low oil price, said Mark Edmunds, Southeast Asia Energy & Resources Industry Leader and Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Sector Leader for Deloitte.

Speaking to the Daily, Edmunds said many countries are struggling to attract foreign investors in the sector as the oil price has remained low over the past four years. Even big companies like ExxonMobil, BP and Shell have become choosy before entering a market.

To attract investors, authorities should consider important factors such as tax policies, business environment and administrative papers. With less capital moving around, companies are looking for shorter investment cycles to recover cash quickly.

Aside from Southeast Asia, Mexico is emerging as a new investment destination for oil giants. It has opened its market after prohibiting foreign investment for nearly 80 years.

Regarding power generation in Vietnam, Edmunds said the nation has seen many coal fired and hydropower plants. However, the Government is shifting to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and natural gas.

The U.S. has improved air quality significantly thanks to the use of gas-fired electricity, while China and India are also following suit. This move would be good for Vietnam as well as a more balanced use of energy sources will help protect the environment.

At present, Vietnam still imports natural gas for domestic use. However, as the demand for natural gas continues to rise, the nation is expected to become a natural gas exporter in the future.

The expert said Vietnam is going on the right way for giving incentives to attract foreign investors into the energy sector. Earlier, many large enterprises have invested in Vietnam because of the qualified workforce and appropriate investment policies.

Under the current circumstances, the nation should invest in technology to develop its natural resources properly, and protect its natural gas reserves and the environment, Edmunds added.

Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 4, 2017

The Vietnam government has stepped up to encourage investment in solar power plant and project, which is part of the effort to close the gap of energy growth demand versus supply, and support the sustainable energy development in Vietnam.

According to Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TTg issued on Apr 11th, 2017 to be effective from Jun 1st, 2017, organizations and individuals involved in the development of solar power projects are entitled to investment, tax and land incentives.

Specifically, organizations and individuals involved in the development of solar power projects can legally mobilize capital from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to invest in the implementation of solar power projects in accordance with the provisions of current law.

Solar power projects are exempted from import duties on imported goods to create fixed assets for the project; complying with the current law on import tax and export tax on goods imported for production of projects which are raw materials, supplies and semi-finished products which cannot be produced at home.

The exemption and reduction of corporate income tax for solar power projects shall be implemented the same as for projects in the field of investment incentives in accordance with current tax law.

On land preference, the Decision stipulates that solar power projects, transmission lines and transformer stations for connecting to electricity grids shall be exempted from or reduce land use fees, land rents and water surface rents in accordance with current law applies to projects in the field of investment incentives.

Based on the planning approved by competent authorities, the provincial people’s committees create conditions for arranging land funds for investors to carry out solar power projects. The compensation and support for ground clearance shall be implemented in accordance with the current land legislation.

The decision also specifies that organizations and individuals investing in the construction of solar power projects have the responsibility to install solar power equipment must ensure the safety of structures and work safety in accordance with the current regulations.

The investment in the construction of solar power projects shall comply with the current law provisions on investment, construction, fire prevention and fighting, environmental protection and other relevant regulations.

The Vietnam laws on electricity will be changed to attract investment of the private sector, boosting the industrial development of the country, which is always hunger for power to develop.

Vietnam has updated national power development plan up to 2020. Building more thermal power plant will still be the main driver for sources of energy in the future development although concerns have arisen for environmental control.

Thứ Năm, 18 tháng 8, 2016

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